Portable electronic devices have continued to evolve with developing computing technologies. Reductions in size of computing components have given rise to a proliferation of multi-use devices that may be easily transported while maintaining robust feature sets. For example, a personal digital assistant (PDA) is a handheld device that combines computing, telephone/fax, Internet, and networking features. Unlike portable computing devices, a PDA is generally configured to utilize a stylus or a user finger for input. In other examples, portable electronic devices may be highly specialized featuring a compact profile with equally compact user input controls.
For example, the IPOD® as developed by APPLE® is a full featured portable electronic music device as in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an illustrative representation of a portable electronic music device 100. A user may store and play any number of musical selections using device 100. In some examples, a screen 114 may be provided that may be utilized as a graphical user interface. A selection wheel 110 may provide any number of selection wheel controls such as: menu selection 102; forward search selection 104; play/pause selection 106; and backward search selection 108. These selections may be configured to provide a user friendly and efficient interface. In this example, a player control may be defined by an area that may be pressed to actuate an underlying switch. In some examples, a center button 112 having an underlying center button switch may be provided for additional selections. Further, a port 116 may be used for I/O functions as well as charging functions. Legend arrows 150 are provided for clarity. As illustrated, portable electronic music device 100 is configured with a simplified user interface having only four selection wheel controls (102-108) and one center button 112.
In early models of this type of portable electronic music device, devices were large enough to accommodate a relatively large selection wheel and correspondingly large area for player controls. However, as device profiles have continued to shrink, so have user interfaces. Thus, areas designated for player controls have continued to shrink causing users, in some examples, to inadvertently actuate a center button switch when making a player control selection thereby causing unexpected results.
For example, FIG. 2 is an illustrative cross-sectional representation of a selection pad 204 and selection button 202. At initial rest position 200, switches 206, 208, and 210 are not actuated. Selection button 202 may be utilized to select switch 208 while selection pad 204 may be configured to actuate switches 206 and 210 via actuator nubs 214 and 212, respectively. In a first actuating position 250, a force 220 may be applied to selection pad 204 at or near the location of switch 210. As can be appreciated, deflection of selection pad 204 may, in some examples, cause a partial deflection of selection button 202 which partially actuates switch 208. Typically these arrangements may be configured to accept some degree of deflection of selection button without actuating switch 208. Thus, a compromise between a responsive selection button that is resistant to mechanical cross-talk may be achieved. However, when a force 230 is applied at second actuating position 260, a different result may occur. In this position, force 230 is applied closer to selection button 202 actuating not only switch 210, but switch 208 as well. In this example, when both switches are actuated, mechanical cross-talk may occur thus leading to unexpected results. This problem is exacerbated as device profile shrinks. Therefore, selection button isolation arrangements are presented herein.